Method of and apparatus for raising submerged vessels



F.'W. EBELING.

METHOD 0F AND APPARATUSFOR RAISING SUBMERGED VESSELS.

. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1920. y 1 ,428,538. PatentdSept. 12, 1922.

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65? 05PM/ I I ATTORNEYS l F.. W. EBELING. MmHon of AND APPARATUS PQR msm@ Summen yEssELs'. APFUCATION FILED NOV. l2, 1920. 1,428,538. A PatentedSept. 12, 1922?.`

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FREDERICK 'EBELIL\TG. 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORr` TO` SBIVIABINE DEVICES CORPORATION, A CORPORATON OF DELAW'ARE.

IWETHOD OVF AND APPARATUS 'FOR RAISING SUBMERGED VESSELS.

To all iufm/iii. t may concern.'

Be it known that I.' Fnnnniucn W. EBEL- iNc, a citizen ot theUnited States, residing at New York. in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Raising Subinerged Vessels, ot which the following is a speciiication, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawing.

rl`his invention relates to the salvaging or raising oit submerged vessels, and has to do more particularly with that systemv in which the vessel is raised'by giving it buoyancy by the expulsion ot water therefrom. by air pressure.

In the operation of raising vessels vby this system, under certain methods of procedure it is the practice to send a diver down to the submerged. vessel who closes up they hatchway or other communication of the hold with the outside and then connects a pipe with4 the water filled hold for the 1ntrodiiction et compressed air, which pipei leads upwardly to the surface ot the water where it is connected vwith asutable air compressing apparatus. The elieet of the air thus forced. into the'hold is to expel the water tl'icreii'o'in throi'igli the opening or hole stove in the hold, thereby reducing thewater level in the hold and replacing the water with air. This will give buoyancy to the vessel and cause it to rise. As they i vessel rises, the hydrostatic pressure of the water acting on the outside ot the vessel decreases, and the pressure oi.z air within the hold-will over balance the hydrostatic pressure a cting` on the deck, so that thelatterwill be subjected to severe stresses by the inter-v nal air pressure, with the result that it will.

be seriously strained or otherwise injured,

and it is frequently ruptured.

The aim ot the present'invention is to overcome this liability oit the deck to injury,v

and the invention consists oit an improved method characterized by the automatic re-y lief of the air pressure in the hold as the hvdrostatic pressure decreases on the rise of Application filed November 12,y 1920.y Serial No. 423,576.

Fig. 2 yisa-'longitudinal section ot the same.

Fig. 8 is a top plan view looking down into the hold and showing the trunk applied. thereto for carrying my-invention into effeet, certain parts being broken away to expose other parts tol View.

Fig. t is a perspectiveview et the trunk on a reduced Scale. y

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse i section through one side of the trunk and the adjacent portion of the hatch coaming and deck on an enlarged scale, showing the devices ot Fig. 1 for fastening the trunk iniplace.

Fig. 6 is asimila-r view showing devices oit af different `form for securing the trunk in place. I

Fig. 7 Ais a transverse sectionthrough the side oit the vessel showing how the air pipe for introducing air under pressure is rapplied tothe ventilator.

Fig. 8 isa diagrammatic view of-a vessel in transverse cross section showing how `my improved method iscarried into effect in connection with a vessel haVing-uppereand lower holds and an intervening deck.

Referring to the drawings:

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 5, 1 designates the hull of a vessel having a hold Qcovered byy a. deck portion' 3 containing the usual hatchway #l leading into. the hold,y the said hatchway being'i surrounded by the usual hatch coarning 5 extending upwardly from the deck.` 6 designates a casing in the form of a. trunk rectangular inV cross section and open at its two ends, which trunk is positioned inthe hatchway` and depends a substantial distance into the\.vessels liold,` and is firmly fastened rigidly in place at its upper end. In the construction shown in Figs. l to 5 the trunk is provided at its upper end with a lateral extension or flange 7 projecting outwardly therefrom and over the upper end of the hatch coaming, a packing 8, preferably of wood, being applied to the underside of the flange and bearing on the upper end of the coaming to form are prorided at their outer extremities with i upturned hooks engaging around a horizontal flange 11 projecting outwardly from the lower end of the hatch coaming. The upper and lower ends of the bolts are threaded and on these threaded ends, nuts 12 and 13 are screwed, which being turned up will draw the packing on the flange tightly against the upper end of the hatch coaming and thereby secure the trunk firmly in place in the hold, sealed air-tight at its upper end.

In carrying my improved. method into effect with an equipment of this character to raise a submerged vessel whose hold has become filled with water, which for instance has entered the hold through a hole 141 stove in the hull of the vessel, the trunk G is lowered to the submerged vessel and divers descend and apply the same to the hatchway as shown in Fig. 1, after first closing other communications of the hold with the outside, such as funnels,`etc. Provision is made for forcing air under pressure into the water-filled hold as by a pipe 15 entering through the side of the trunk as shown by full lines in ll' 1, or a pipe 1 6 extending downwardly within the trunk and provided with an upturned end terminating near the deck as shown by dotted lines inr Fig. 1, or by means of a pipe 17 rpassed through the funnel 18 and fastened in place by a cement packing 19 as shown in Fig. 7. rl`he air pipe,A whichever forni may be used, is extended upwardly to the surface of the water where it may be connected with a suitable vair coni- ].nessing apparatus X, illustrated conven tionally in Fig. 1. Air under pressure is now forced .into the hold, and it will act to expel the water therefrom through the hole in the vesselis hull, and the water level in the hold will be lowered until sufficient air has geplaced the water to give the vessel the necessary buoyancy to cause it to rise. At this time the water level in the hold is above the lower end of the depending trunk, and the water fills the trunk and a portion. of the -hold and surrounds the outside of the vessel, and it therefore acts with a certain hydrostatic pressure on the deck of the vessel, as well as against the body of compressed air within the hold. As the vessel rises, the hydrostatic pressure on the deck of coursel decreases, as does also that acting within the hold, and as the air pressure within the hold is maintained to keep the water out and preserve the vessels buoyancy, this internal air pressure will at a certain point in the rise of the vessel become higher than the hydrostatic pressure, and unless means were provided to prevent it, the deck would be injured or ruptured by the over balancing air pressure. The trunk 6 however prevents such a result, as it affords a passage-way for the escape of the air from the hold when the hydrostatic pressure acting through the truuk is so far reduced by the rise of the vessel as to be overcome by the air pressure within the hold. this escape of the air through the trunk being of course gradual and acting to relieve the pressure of the volume of air above the water level within the hold.L rlhe effect is therefore to automati-- cally relieve the pressure in the hold in accordance with the reduction of hydrostatic pressure due to the riseof the vessel. ln this way, strain on or rupture of the dock or walls of the hold will be effcctually prevented. i

ln order to facilitate the positioning of the trunk in the hatch coaining when the former is lowered to thc submerged vessel, the trunk is provided on its four sides with a number of upright guiding plates or brackets 19 whose lower portions are beveled or inclined inwardly as at 19a, and whose upper portions are vertical as at 19". As the trunk approaches its final position, the inclined portions 19a of the brackets by cooperating with an inwardly extending flange 2O on the interior of the hatch coaming, will act to guide the trunk in its descent, and when the latter reaches its final position as shown in ll 1 and 5, the vertical portions of the brackets will stand opposite the edge of the flange and thus center and determine the proper final position of the trunk.

rlhe devices for fastening the trunk in place will be of a forni to meet the different constructions of hatch coamings as they exist in different types of vessels. For instance the hatch coamings of certain types of vessels a're constructed as shown in Figs, 'l and while others are provided with aflieriaontal flange 21 as shown in Fig. G. ln this latter construction instead of the long bolts 9 and the horizontal plates lll employed for fastening the trunk in place shown in Figs. 1 and 5, short bolts S22 are employed aS shown in Fig, (i. which entend through holes in the outer edges of the flange on the trunk and downwardly some distance, and are provided on their lower ends with inwardly turned hooks 22 engaging beneath Jthe underside of the flange 21, these bolts being threaded at their upper ends and pro vided vwith nuts 23 which when 'screwed down against the flange, will draw the'same downwardly andseat the packing on `the flange tightly against the upper end of the coarning. It is obvious ofcourse that'other means may be employed -for fastening the trunk in place so that it will depend into the vessels hold; and it is obvious also t-hat lprovision may be made lor the introductionv of conipresscd air by means other than the particular examples shown and above described, the essential requirements in this respect being that the trunk will be fastened firmly in place within the hatch coanring, and' sealed against the escape of air around the outside ol the same from the'y interior of the hold.

1n` equipping vessels which have superpcsed holds separated by an intervening` deck or decks, in order to carry out 'my improved method, a trunk is applied to the hatchway of each deck as shown in Fig. 8 in substantially the same manner as the application of the trunk as heretofore described, an upper trunk 24; being applied to the hatchway of the upper deck, and a lower trunk 25 being applied'to the hatchway ot the lower deck; and' compressed air is admit-ted tothe two hatchways independently as shown by the two pipes 96 and 2i', or by the other arrangements heretofore described. The relief of the air pressure within the holds however will be effected ailtomatically under Vthe same principle ot operation as that before described', with the result that the pressure acting against the underside of the decks will be automatically relieved by the reduction off the hydrostatic pressure of the water as the vessel rises, and 'rupture or other injuryto the decks will be prevented. 1t will 'be understood that the depth ot the trunk or its amount of penetration into the hold in any particular case. will depend upon"thedepth olf subinergence ot the ves# sel and the degree of buoyancy necessary to cause it .to rise. For instance it the deck of the vessel is twenty feet below the surface ot the water it will besubj ect to an external pressure ot 8.8 lbs. to the square inch, and it a trunk of a depth of ten feet say is o1nployed, an air pressure within the hold oit 1.23.2 lbs. to the square inch will be necessary to lower the .level of the water to where the vessel will be given the l buoyancy to cause it to rise. The deck will be subjected on its inside to a net or effectivev pressure of 1312 lbs. 8-8 or afllbs. to the" square inch, which pressure while being surlicient to keep the water level down to a point to maintain the buoyancy, will not be great enough to strain or otherwise'injure the deck. Now as the vessel rises, the hydro`- static pressure on the outerside of the same decreases, and that acting against the body of air in the hold also decreases, with the rea point; necessary" sul't that the'trapped'air will escape around thelower edge of the trunk, and in this manner will always balance the water pressure at saidI lower edge. Consequently the effective pressure of air on'the inside of the deck rwill remainl constant, sincethe actual pressure in the hold is automaticallyreduced in proportion to thereduction of hydrostatic pressure acting 0ny the outside of the deck.

` It'will be understoodl that as shown in Fig; 2' the `different'holds or compartments ex-v tending'throughout thelength of they vessel will be treated in the same manner asabove described, that is, each of said holds, or such anumber of them as will bei necessary to treat in order tov give buoyancy toy the vessel, will have the trunksappliedwand the compressed air introduced as shown. While inthe foregoing description and accompanying drawings I have setforth my invention as regards the particular method of procedure, and the detailed form `or the apparatus, which Ifprefer tof'adopt, it will be understood'that these details may be variously changed, both as regardsthe method and apparatus, without departing rfromy the limits of the invention; and it will be understood that theinvention isfnot limited as regards either phaseA of the invention excepty iny so liar suchl limitations are speciied in the claims. i i

'- =While in the foregoing description and accompanying` drawings the invention has been shown as applied to thel raising of vessels# which have beenk damagedA by' having a hole irstove thereinfit is obvious that'the inven'tion is not restricted to such conditions asv the niethod` ma f be carried out `just as effectively andi un(V erth'e saineV principle of operation in: a-"case where there has been no injury to 'the hold or holey stove in the same. 1n suchcase,thefairf pressure will act to force the water yout rthrough the trunk or trunks, and the relief off the trapped air in the hold will takeplace in awmanner similar tothat hereinbeforerdescribed. l

It is to be noted that the trlunk' 6 is of substantial and'fextended cross sectional size and follows generally? in its contour, the crosssectional contour'and size or: thehatch way.y This is an important yfeature ot' my invention both as regards the method involved and the mechanical construction. Then so formed and" ,constructedthe trapped air within the hold is permitted great freedom of escape 'through the trunk, and in. great volume. Asa result, in the event that the vessel rises suddenly, as'it may do because ofbeing l'held bysome obstruction or the stickycharacter of the soil in which it may be embedded, the hydrostatic pressure acting on the ldeck will be correspondingly suddenly reduced and unless means were provided for permitting the air inthe hold torapidlyfescape in large volume,

there would be such accumulation of pressure on the .interior of the vessel as would either rupture or injure the deck. t is desirable therefore that the trunk be of large cross sectional area in order to permit the internal pressure to be quickly equalized under the conditions mentioned. Furthermore, where the trunk follows generally the contour of the hatehway, there will be no need to construct a special covering for the hatchway, as there would be it the reliet passage were of restricted area in cross section as constituted 'for instance by a pipe. Such special covering would be very ditiicult if not impossible to construct and Yfasten in place in such manner as to `withstand on its extended surface the severe internal. pressure which would be brought upon it in the accumulation of enough pressure in the hold to give the vessel the desired buoyancy.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

l. The method of raising submerged vessels, which consists in forcing air under pressure into a hold to expel the water, maintaining permanently within the hold column of water to trap the introduced air in suiiicient volume to give the necessary buoyancy to the vessel to cause it to rise. and, allowing the-trapped air. to escape through said column ot water in accor hin e with the reduction in hydrostatic pressure resulting from the rise of the vessel.

2. rllhe .method o raising submerged ves* sels. which consists in 'l'orcing air under pressure into a hold to expel the water, maintaining` permanently within the hold a column ot water to tra-p the .introduced air in su'tiicient volume to give the necessary buoyancy to the vessel to cause itto rise, and allowing` the trapped air to escape through the column oi Water at a rate sutlicient to compensate for the reduction of the hydrostatic pressure on the deck irrespective of the speed ot rise ot the vessel.

23. .ln combination with a vcsselsy hold provided with. a hatchway, a hollow opencnded trunk depending a substantial distance into the hold through the hatchway and fastened `to the marginal edges of the hatchway. the raices-sectional form and size of' said truni; .rhcro it is secured. corresponding substantially to the contour and. size oi" the hatchway. and means Ytor the introdnotion oi air under pressure into the hold in the space s1urounding` the trunk.

et. .ln combination with a vessels hold provided with hatohwafy, a hollow openended trunk depending a substantial distancev into the hold through the hatchway, the cross-sectional ilorm and size of said trunk corresponding substantially to the contour and size of the hatchway7 means for fastening the trunk detachably to the marginal edges of the hatchway, and means 'for the introduction of air under pressure into the hold in the space surrounding the trunk.

5. In combination with' a vessels holt provided with a hatchway, a hollow openended trunk depending a substantial distance into the hold through the hatchway7 the cross-sectional term and size et the trunk corresponding substantially to the contour and size of the hatchway, clamping devices applied at intervals to said trunk and the marginal edges ot the hatchway to ,tasten the trunk within the hatehway, and means tor the introduction ot air under pressure into the hold in the space sur rounding the trunk.

6. ln combination with a vessels hold provided with a rectangular hatchway, a hollow open-ended trunk ot rectangular form in cross-section and oi a cross-sectional size substantially similar to that oit the hatehway,y said trunk depending a substantial distance into the hold and fastened to the marginal edges of the hatchway, and means tor the introduction of air under pressure into the hold in the space surrounding the trunk.

.ln combination with a vessels hold provided with a hatchway, a portable openi-ndcd trunk ot a cross-sectional form and size (cm-responding substantially to the 'form and size oit the hatchway, said trunk being adapted to be entered and fastened in the hatchway so as to depend a substantial distance into the vessels hold, and yguiding members on the trunk adapted to cooperate with the marginal edges ot the hatchway in 'facilitating the positioning ot the trunk therein.

S. ln combination with a vessels hold provided with a rectangular hatchway, a portable hollow open-ended trunk ot a rcetangular itforrn and size in cross-section substantially corresponding to the torm and size oit the hatchway, said. trunk being adapted to be entered and secured in the hatehway so as to depend a substantial distance into the vessels hold, and guiding plates secured to the sides oit the trunk and adapted to cooperate with the marginal edges ot the hatchway in facilitating the positioning of the trunk therein. l

il. A portable pressure relief trunk 'for use in raising` submerx'red vessels, said trunk being hollow and open at opposite ends and ot a shape and size in ciossscction corresponding substantially to the form and size ot the vessels hatehway and adapted to be entered and fastened in the hatchway so as to depend a substantial distance into the vessels hold`r and provided with guiding members arranged to cooperate with the marginal edges of the hatchway in facilitating the positioning ot the trunk therein.

l0. ln combination with a vessels hold having a hatchway and a hatch coaming extending upwardly therefrom, a trunk of Substantially rigid material permanently open at its two ends and extending Within the hatehway in proximity to the inner Side ot the hate-h coaining and depending` therefrom a subetantial distance into the hold,l

said trunk being provided at its upper portion with an outwardly projecting marginal FREDERICK W. EBELNG. 

